this is "world news." tonight, the silent no more. for the first time, victim number one, the boy who took down jerry sandusky, speaks out. and abc's chris cuomo tracks down the people he says did not help. >> chris cuomo from abc news. we've been trying to get in touch with you. razor thin. inside the new presidential polls. hidden america. the first look at an unprecedented event. rival gang members from chicago's dangerous streets. in one room, the anger -- >> you're going to be the prey or the predator. >> the surprises. and the night after, one of them is shot six times. and really, amy? >> really? >> really. >> tonight, the secret message that makes a funny girl our "person of the week."

good evening. tonight, we begin with the stunning story of bravery, by a young boy who stood up after he says so many adults looked the other way. it is an abc news exclusive. for the very first time, the young man who brought down a football legend in pennsylvania, coach jerry sandusky, speaks out. his name is aaron fisher, and until now, he has been called victim number one. "20/20" coof anchor chris cuomo is here now with what it took for a child to come forward and chris searches for answers from adults this young man says let him down. >> reporter: the epic investigation of penn state university and it's famed former coach all started with one boy. >> my name's aaron, otherwise known as victim one. >> reporter: aaron was 11 when he met jerry sandusky, after he

was invited to join a free summer camp in pennsylvania, run by the local legend. >> he just seemed like the all-natural father figure. >> reporter: sandusky took a liking to aaron, bringing him to sporting events, sleepovers at sandusky's house. terrible things are going on. >> uh-huh. >> reporter: just you and him, right? >> in the basement, yes. >> reporter: and he says he wasn't safe at school either. sandusky, who volunteered as a football coach there, began regularly pulling him out of class to see him. >> the one place i thought i could feel safe and it's just completely shattered. >> reporter: but you weren't able to say -- >> no. >> reporter: -- this guy is a monster, he's sexually assaulting me. >> couldn't do it. >> reporter: why? >> embarrassment. fear of not being believed. >> reporter: finally, when he was 15, he told the school principal about the abuse. his mother says, in that principal's office, her son was betrayed again. >> they tell me to go home and think about it. >> reporter: go home and think about what? >> that's what i said.

>> here i am, beside my mom, crying, telling her, look, they don't believe me. i knew they wouldn't. >> reporter: in a way, he was right. police said they would need more victims to go up against the legendary sandusky. why wasn't aaron enough? >> jerry sandusky walked on water. and we were going to send this kid up against an icon. we needed more evidence. >> reporter: for three years, aaron told his story to authorities over and over -- still no arrest. meanwhile, the victims were piling up. sandusky was finally sentenced for his crimes against many boys just last week, but what about others like coach steve tuchetta, who helped sandusky get aaron out of class to meet him. we wanted to know why he didn't speak up. mr. turchetta? >> please turn the camera off. >> reporter: chris cuomo from abc news. we've been trying to get in touch with you. >> please turn the camera off. >> reporter: he may not want to talk to us, but he admitted to a grand jury he had suspicions, even though he said he didn't know of any assaults.

nothing to say to him mom? nothing to say to aaron? nothing at all? >> and chris is here now. chris, you seek out other adults on this young man's behalf? >> reporter: we do. the principal who told aaron's mother to go home when they made allegations of abuse. the prosecutor for the attorney general, it took three years for this case to be brought. we find out why, for aaron tonight. >> and you were saying, you don't call him victim number one around here. >> reporter: no, we call him hero number one and there are already rumblings there may be an investigation into how this was handled. >> i want everybody to be sure to know you can see all of chris cuomo's exclusive report, it is stunning and it is tonight on "20/20" at 10:00 p.m. eastern. and now, we turn to the race for the white house. these pictures say it all. the candidates and their running mates and their wives, all out, all going full throttle, trying to win over just a tiny number of people in those battleground

states who could be the ones who decide it all in 18 days. when americans go to the polls, it's your voice, your vote. and abc's david muir has a question and an answer for all of us. in this blizzard of polls, as of tonight, who would win this race? >> reporter: president in virginia today, women filling the backdrop and a new attack line. >> if you say you're for equal pay for equal work, but you keep refusing to say whether or not you'd sign a bill that protects people pay for equal work. you may have romnesia. >> reporter: late today, mitt romney boarding a plane for florida, after hours in debate prep. but with new polling sending mixed signals, who is really winning this race right now? everyone at home keeping score, who is winning the race tonight? >> obama. >> reporter: by how much? >> not by much. we think he might be up by one point nationally and two points in the most important battleground states. >> reporter: in the political

word, nate silver is known as a numbers wit, for his blog in "the new york times." the answer so why he thinks the president is winning right now lies in the battlegrounds. look at this. just one key scenario. if the president can hold onto his leads in ohio, wisconsin and iowa, and he'd have the electoral map to win. in fact, romney could sweep six other swing states and it still would not be enough. nate's math also takes into account the stock market, the unemployment rate. and just today, we learned in seven key swing states, unemployment dropped, including the must-win state now for both campaigns, ohio. overnight at the al smith dinner a tradition to bring both candidates together. the president, jokingly asked this. >> in less than three weeks, voters in states like ohio, virginia and florida will decide this incredibly important election which begs the question, what are we doing here? >> reporter: and romney, with his own take on the polls. >> when suddenly i pulled ahead

in some of the major polls, what was the headline? polls show obama leading from behind. and i've already seen early reports from tonight's dinner. headline -- obama embraced by catholics. romney dines with rich people. >> reporter: that's pretty good last night. i spent some time on the phone with the romney campaign today and that notion of a mid western fire wall, they don't buy it. they say they're going to win iowa. they say it's razor thin in ohio. and get this, diane. i asked nate, the math whiz, if the election were tonight, how many states would go into a recount, he said two to three states in a recount automatically. going to be a very long night. >> that close. thank you, david. and a reminder, on sunday, george stephanopoulos and his headliners will be here. chicago mayor rahe emanuel and senator more coe rube yo from florida, tackling it all on "this week." president obama faced serious questions last night

about his administration's response to that deadly attack in benghazi, the one that cost four americans their lives. tonight, we have learned that ambassador chris stevens, who was killed in the attack, repeatedly voiced concern about security in libya, including, we are told, on the day he died. abc's jake tapper has the details. >>eporter: they're the quesons the president cannot escape. why do we still not know what went wrong in benghazi? and why was the administration's response so confusing? last night, comedian jon stewart took his turn. >> i would say you would admit it was not the optimal response, at least to the american people as far as us all being on the same page. >> well, here's what i'll say. >> yeah. >> if four americans get killed, it's not optimal. >> right. >> and we're going to fix it. and -- >> all of it. >> all of it. >> reporter: that remains a work in progress. the president has vowed to bring those responsible to justice, but although government officials suggest that members of an extremist group were

involved in the attack, two hours were spent on the pat yoel of a crowded luxury hotel last night with a leader of that group, as he sipped a strawberry frappe. this afternoon, republicans in congress released new images from the compound where ambassador chris stevens and three had americans died, including earlier photos from previous attacks in benghazi, highlighting how precarious the security situation had been. they released this chilling june cable from ambassador stevens, warning islamic extremism was on the rise in the area. al qaeda's flag flying over government buildings in a nearby town. and diane, democrats voiced concern today that house republicans just released this information to hurt the president, just a few weeks before the election. and a few days before monday night's debate, which is focused exclusively on foreign policy. diane? >> reporter: ja >> jake tapper, thank you. and a body blow for american retirement accounts today.

the dow took a nose dive, closing down 200 points. the single worst day in four months. the skid was sparked, in part, by disappointing earnings from three goliaths of the dow, mcdonald's, ge and microsoft. and last night, right leer on this program, we told you about our reporting on a hidden america, children living in fear in some neighborhoods that have become a war zone. sending a simple message, "don't shoot, i want to grow up." 419 people have already been killed, in a few neighborhoods in chicago, this year alone. and in the 24 hours since our report aired, three more people were shot. so, tonight, join us, on "nightline," for something unprecedented. 38 members of rival gangs, past and present, will come into one room with me so we can ask them, what can be done to make this stop? last night, we showed you a 7-year-old named ralph, who

lives in a kind of fortress. >> i really don't go outside, just scared always they going to shoot me or stab me. >> where is that coming from? >> reporter: he is one of the tens of thousands of kids in the neighborhoods in chicago where 100,000 young men are in gangs, young, angry, leaderless, some just 13 years old in world awash with guns. >> go behind a couple bushes, i bet there's some guns under there. >> reporter: late at night, we tour a dangerous street corner. there have been 13 murders within one mile. >> you see where that stop sign is? a couple of guys, 16 years old got shot, got killed. >> reporter: so "world news" and "nightline" decided to try something different, something unprecedented. on a recent friday, the anti-violence group cease fire illinois helped round up 38 members of rival gangs past and present. they were told to get rid of their weapons -- >> no box cutters, no knives. >> reporter: a group who would

not dare to have gathered like this on the street. it started with hard, tough challenges. >> prey or the predator. which one you going to be? >> reporter: but you will see the night change when gang members take us home, inside headquarters. >> some people have nowhere to go. >> reporter: and suddenly, they tell us, this is not what they dreamed they'd grow up to be. >> you think i want to stand on the corner and sell drugs to other black folks who destroy my community for some petty [ bleep ] money? they ain't [ bleep ]. help us. help us try to be better. >> reporter: and at one point, courageous community leaders join us, like the legendary nba star isiah thomas, who says with so many good people caring so much, there has to be hope. >> 95% of the people in our communities are good, decent, hard working people. >> reporter: but as you'll learn, 24 hours after this meeting, one of the gang members was shot six times.

but back in the room, all together, watching, hoping, ralph and so many others. including a little boy named christian, who had a poem we asked him to read. >> i want to go outside and play. but i can't. not because i have no friends, it's because of the violence. it seems it never ends. >> and, again, an unprecedented ooechtd on "nightline" tonight. and not just a window into chicago, but so many cities near you. and still ahead, right here on "world news," watch out. facebook could be ruining the chance your kid will be accepted to college. and the shocking things students are doing to each other to get an edge. in america today we're running out of a vital resource we need to compete on the global stage. what we need are people prepared for the careers of our new economy. by 2025 we could have 20 million jobs

without enough college graduates to fill them. that's why at devry university, we're teaming up with companies like cisco to help make sure everyone's ready with the know how we need for a new tomorrow. [ male announcer ] make sure america's ready. make sure you're ready. at devry.edu/knowhow. ♪ at devry.edu/knowhow. an intense burning sensation i woke up with this horrible rash on my right side. like somebody had set it on fire. and the doctor said, cindie, you have shingles.

he said, you had chickenpox when you were a little girl... i said, yes, i did. i don't think anybody ever thinks they're going to get shingles. but it happened to me. for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com go ahead you risk takers... you time misplacers... you magnets to mud... you shovers of covers, and lucky shirt lovers... pile it on. after all, kenmore is in the lives of over 100 million americans. that's why our newest large capacity front load has over 35% more speed to clean clothes, faster. we put more in, so you get more out. kenmore. and now, something to tell every young person in your life. a new way the things you do can

come back to haunt you. those embarrassing photos and diary notes on facebook can now torpedo your college admission. college officials jumping in like detectives and looking to see who their applicants really are. abc's linsey davis with a life warning for american families. >> reporter: rachel murphy thought she had the picture perfect profile to apply to the college of her dreams. >> this is the thing that was a bit concerning. do you remember that? >> no. >> reporter: turning out, she had some housekeeping to do on her facebook page. she took down video on her site that didn't relate to her at all. and good thing she did. a new study out this week finds more than 25% of colleges search google or facebook to get a window into their applicants. one-third say they discovered something that hurt the student's chances of getting in. all those pictures of drinking, tales of cheating and posts littered with profanity. >> most kids have no idea how

important it is that their profile online be appropriate for the admissions process. >> reporter: they don't just search your site. they'll dig into your friends' sites for photos of you. what would be that red flag that causes you to go online? >> typically we're provoked by either a jaded classmate or a parent, a faculty member. >> reporter: that's right. jaded classmates, sometimes flag admissions offices about what other classmates have been up to online. public image management 101? don't just keep track of your account. keep track of what your friends post about you. don't deactitivate your account. admissions officers say it could raise suspicion at the college. >> don't post anything you wouldn't want your mom to see. >> reporter: the cliffnotes version? think before you tweet. linsey davis, abc news, new york. and coming up, our instant index. caught on tape, an incredible rescue, and a mystery. how did a small dog wind up out in the middle of the ocean?

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we're told, through written notes. and, she's even standing. s though, her doctors warn she is still not out of the woods. and a video in the news. charlie was out on his paddle board when he spotted something strange, like a wet mop with eye us, wobbling above the water. turned out to be a tiny dog, struggling, shivering on a rock as the tide was rising fast. he was minutes from being washed away. so, charlie raced over and coaxed the scared little pup onto his board. we do not know how the puppy got there, but he was given a ride to dry land and a whole new life. and, a quote in the news. listen to this 911 call out of texas. >> got a rather tall cowboy, with all of his clothes burnt off. >> not just any cowboy. it was big tex, the mascot who has been a state legend for 60 ye years, towering over the state far in dallas. he caught fire today and in ten minutes flat, all that remained

were his hands and his belt buckle. and we should add, no human cowboys were injured. the mayor of dallas has vowed to rebuild big tex, bigger and bett better. after all, it is texas. and we do want to hear from you, which pictures, people and quotes captured your imagination every day. so, tell us online at abcnews.com or tweet them at #instantind #instantindex. and coming up, she's one of the funniest women in america, but why is she our "person of the week"? >> really? >> next, amy poehler's secret message for everyone across the country tonight. [ male announcr and walmart have teamed up to bring you a low-priced medicare prescription drug plan. ♪ with a low national plan premium... ♪ ...and copays as low as one dollar... ♪ ...saving on your medicare prescriptions is easy. ♪ so you're free to focus on the things

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and finally tonight, we told you about an historic first this week. amy poehler and tina fey, named co-hosts of the golden globes. the first time two women will do the honors. but you should know, poehler is already handing out something pretty golden. really smart advice to help young girls live a big, brave life. amy poehler is our "person of the week" and she sat down with abc's david wright. >> am i enough? do i fit in? you still ask those questions

when you're 40. >> reporter: amy poehler knows how to make people laugh. >> really congress? you held a congressional committee on preproductive rights and you didn't invite any women? really? >> reporter: but she also has a gift for making people feel better about themselves. >> dear amy. what advice would you give to a young woman with body issues? >> reporter: her website, "smart girls at the party" features a popular advice section for teenage girls. >> i feel what you're feeling. and i think most women do. the internet can be a really tough place for a young girl. >> reporter: so, she offered advice. not as an expert, but as a big sister. >> the earlier you learn you should focus on what you have and not obsess about what you don't have, the happier you will be. >> reporter: if you were 13, what would you ask amy? >> oh, that's a good question. if i was 13, my questions would probably have been like, "i'm so flat-chested. what do i do about it?" to be honest with you. >> reporter: and your answer now? >> my answer would be like, "enjoy it while you can.

being flat-chested is great. clothes fit and it's amazing." >> reporter: in comedy, too, sisterhood, has been important to poehler, especially all those "snl" skits with tina fey. >> diplomacy should be the cornerstone of any foreign policy. >> and i can see russia from my house. >> it's a really nice feeling to have your friend with you during terrifying moments. i was so trying to make sure that we got it right. the country was watching, so, it felt very electric. >> my friend and i are both very tough ladies. >> reporter: she was freg nant when they did that skit. now, she has two sons. >> they keep me in the very present moment, which is really cool. every time i get in my head, my boys are like, hey, hey, right here, let's live this moment now, right here. >> reporter: what's the advice that you wish someone had given you when you were 13? >> the core of who

you are is there. and you just have to kind of keep listening to it and your life will unfold the way it's supposed to. >> and so, we choose, amy poehler. chef says there's power in looking silly and not caring what you do. thank you so much for watching. we're always here at abcnews.com. chris cuomo on "20/20," later tonight, a special "nightline," hidden america, later. and david muir will be right here at the anchor desk this weekend. have a great night and a great weekend. see you monday. as goovernor, i cut five billion dollars in spending

and balanced the budget every year. and tim kaine and i both cut our own pay as governors, to lead by example. mark warner and i reached across party lines to get things done. we were a great team in richmond and we'll be a great team in washington. i'm tim kaine and i approve this message ...becausese we'll work together to restore fiscal responsibility, grow our economy and create jobs. [ male announcer ] tim kaine. bringing people together to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.